Wastewater and NPDES Rules

General Information about Iowa's Wastewater and NPDES Rules

The Iowa Administrative Code (IAC) contains several chapters regulating the direct discharge of wastewater to waters of the state. The chapters containing most of the wastewater permit regulations are as follows:

The chapters above are regularly updated through the state's rulemaking process. Please refer to the Current NPDES Rulemaking Actions section below for more information on any proposed rule changes.

Current NPDES Rulemaking Actions

General Permits:

The NPDES Section has drafted two new general permits, #8 for Hydrostatic Test water, and #9 for Dewatering. General Permits #8 and #9 are not effective yet, and no discharges are authorized under the permits at this time. Please refer to the linked general permit pages for more information.

The Wastewater Cleanup Rule became effective on May 18, 2016. The Final Rule was published in the Iowa Administrative Bulletin as ARC 2482C April 13, 2016. Please use the following link to view the published rule: ARC 2482C, Final Wastewater Cleanup Rule.

added a new subrule to allow DNR to issue fee refunds without variances.

Storm Water Rulemaking on Topsoil Preservation Requirements:

An EO80 stakeholder group was assembled to review rules regarding the topsoil preservation requirements for activities covered by NPDES General Permit #2. Please refer to the Regulatory - Water page for more information on the stakeholder group.

Rulemaking on the topsoil preservation requirements began in in January of 2015. For more information on the rulemaking, please see the "What's New" section of the Storm Water Program page.

Disadvantaged Community Rule: The disadvantaged community rule proposed in 2012 became effective on January 16, 2013. This rule implements Iowa Code 455B.199B, as modified by Senate File 407 (SF407). The code section and senate file establish criteria that DNR must use to determine if ratepayers or a community will experience substantial and widespread economic and social impact and qualify as disadvantaged as a result of complying with wastewater regulations. Please see the Rural Community Sewers page for more information on the disadvantaged community rule. For more information regarding the disadvantaged community rule and on how to qualify for disadvantaged status, please contact Courtney Cswercko at courtney.cswercko@dnr.iowa.gov.

Summary of Rulemaking Procedures

When the NPDES Section is considering a change to the wastewater rules, a draft rule package is developed and a public meeting is scheduled to gather initial stakeholder input on the draft rules. After the initial stakeholder comments are incorporated into the draft rules, the NPDES Section prepares an internal rulemaking package for review by DNR Legal staff and the Governor's Office. Once DNR Legal staff and the Governor's office have reviewed and approved the proposed rule, the rulemaking package is presented to the
Iowa DNR Environmental Protection Commission (EPC) for approval as a Notice of Intended Action. If approved by the EPC, it is published in the Iowa Administrative Bulletin (IAB) as a Notice of Intended Action (NOIA). Once the NOIA is published, the rule is discussed at the next legislative Administrative Rules Review Committee (ARRC) meeting. After a public comment period in which hearings are held and comments are accepted, the proposed rule is presented to the EPC for approval as a Final Rule. If a final rule is approved by the EPC, after consideration of public comments, it is published in the Administrative Bulletin as a Final Rule. The final rule will be presented to the ARRC after it is published and before it becomes effective. Please see the summary steps below: